The Straight and Narrow
by mostclever
Summary: This story picks up mid-scene in 3x03, The Wichita Linebacker. Right after Keith compliments Weevil on his fine detective skills, he realizes he forgot Eli's next case at home. A small what-if fiction centered around Weevil's growth in Mars Investigations. Potential Weever, but mostly just Weevil.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: This story picks up mid-scene in 3x03, The Wichita Linebacker. Right after Keith compliments Weevil on his fine detective skills, he starts to rummage around for Eli's next job. Turns out he forgot the case files he had set aside for Eli Navarro at home. How drastically could this change the course of events in his life? A small what if fiction centered around Weevil's growth in Mars Investigations. Eventual Weever, but mostly just Weevil. This story will try to follow the season 3 story line as closely as possible within the AU.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. Rob is god, ect.

* * *

Chapter 1

"Now, have you slept yet?"

"Not yet."

Dust particles were visible in the late morning light of Private Investigator Keith Mars' office. Eli Navarro pursed his lips as he leaned back in his chair. Across from him, the older man flipped through a stack of manila folders for the third time. He gave up and rocked back in his seat with an exasperated sigh, clearly not finding what he needed.

"Great." Keith drawled loudly with an accompanied head roll, reaching for the phone.

Eli could see Veronica making the same over-exaggerated gestures in his head and chuckled briefly before sliding into a less expressive exterior. He knew his eyes were still shining, but figured letting the sheriff read him a bit was a good way to make the man more comfortable with him. They had a long history of meeting on unsavory terms. At first it was curfew busts; Eli out wandering the neighborhood with his cousins. They met over progressively worse terms. The older Mars was even responsible for Eli's first few visits to juvi.

Keith began to dial as he propped the phone between his shoulder and ear. "The case is a couple who lost their adult son a few years ago in a car accident. Now they think their grandson is being abused by their daughter-in-law."

This was a story that Eli had heard a few dozen times. His grandmother soothing his older sister in Spanish. A frozen chicken breast held to a welted cheek while her nose still bled at age twelve. Chardo's mom dropping him off at three in the morning, screaming that getting hit is his his own fault. All while his eight year old cousin cried, pleading with his mom to take him back home with her. Abuelita found chipped teeth behind his broken lip the next morning. Weevil sucked in a deep breath, remembering the beating issued by the PCH members he had also considered family. He nodded, both to clear his mind and show Keith he was up to speed on the situation.

The phone stopped ringing and Keith shifted in his seat. "Hey Veronica, you at home? I left some case files in my drawer. Can you pull out the Thomas family file and wait for Eli to come pick it up?" He paused and his eyebrows dropped unpleasantly as the tiny blonde spoke on the other line.

"What's in it for you. Huh. How about your father's undying gratitude? Oh really, and what did you have in mind? Hah! Fine, you can have the leftover rice but leave my egg rolls alone, you menace. "

Keith dropped the phone back on its hook and gave Eli a look that said 'see what I deal with?' The ex-con smirked in response. If anyone knew the pain of bargaining for favors with Veronica, it was the two of them. Keith stood up from his seat and walked around to the now rising Navarro.

"Drop by the apartment, pick up the case file. Then go home, Eli. Get a few hours of sleep and go back on stakeout. Think you can do it?"

"I'll go back on stakeout right after I get that file, if you need me to."

"I like the hustle, but the kid's in school 'til three."

Eli tried to give a grateful smile, but some part of him held back. Keith snickered at the sneer on his well-intentioned secretary's face and patted the kid on his arm. There seemed to be more potential in the boy than he assumed. The private eye had imagined wearily keeping Mr. Navarro on fluff work until Veronica's confidence in her friend was proven wrong. It seemed he might owe his daughter's character judgment an apology.

* * *

Weevil had assumed the day he bashed the vending machine at the car wash was the last time he'd ever see Veronica Mars. She hadn't visited in jail. She wasn't involved in the legal proceedings that lead to his summer vacation in chino. For all he knew, she was just at that car wash for what the menu offered. It wasn't until later that night he allowed himself to accept that Veronica's visits were never a coincidence. She was checking in on him and that relaxed him. When the sheriff called him to offer the secretary position, regret already lacing his voice, Weevil knew V still had his back.

He arrived at the complex and followed a resident in through the otherwise locked gate. He had come by before, but always waited outside the complex on his bike. He figured it was safer to stay there than risk having his accomplice's dad kick him back out again. Stopping on a worn welcome mat, Weevil smoothed his shirt down then pressed the doorbell for the Mars residence, squaring out his shoulders and shuffling his feet. The door opened almost instantaneously. Veronica was in the middle of chewing but motioned for Weevil to come inside, a half-eaten egg roll in her hand.

"Pretty sure I heard somethin' about not eating the egg roll, but I don't really know the sheriff's intonation yet or anything. Maybe it was a suggestion."

As he spoke Veronica stopped chewing momentarily to scowl at him. She moved aside as Weevil strode past smirking. He looked over the kitchen lazily, noting the nearly empty take-out containers, and then walked into the living room to get a better look at family photographs.

"Well aren't you a dapper Weevil." He recognized the compliment, masked by her teasing voice, "But I don't know, I kind of miss the clown-bedazzled jumpsuits."

"Yeah, I save that number for the weekends now. Nice place you got, V. Cute pictures. You got your moms face." Veronica pressed her elbows into the kitchen island while he leaned closer to a family picture by the front window, "You definitely ain't got her chest, though."

"You want the case file or what?" Veronica snipped in good humor, holding up the folder.

Weevil exhaled a laugh and walked towards the kitchen, but when he reached for the folder Veronica pulled it out of reach and open the folder, summarizing out loud. Weevil listened casually, but his main focus was viewing her profile. She was tilting her head away from him as she read, giving him an excellent view of her long neck.

"Six year old grandchild, Tod, in the primary care of his mother. Been showing up to school hiding bruises for awhile. Teachers noticed a significant change of behavior five months ago, brought it to the grandparents attention." Veronica dragged out her sentence, as if unfinished. She frowned, saddened, and Weevil caught her staring sympathetically at the photo of Tod. Weevil nodded; he had seen her mask slip before. She turned towards him, still holding the file open and out of his grasp. She continued in a softer tone, but her expression was unreadable again.

"You know what you're looking for, right? You want a series of photos of this kid being hurt to bring to the grandparents. This way they can appeal for custody. And we're not talking a picture of a small smack on the back of the head."

Keith had given him a run down of the basics when he started the job. Still, hearing the overview of what the pictures needed to be and connecting it to what he would be witnessing were two different things. Weevil smacked his lips.

"I know that! It's money shot 101. I've been watchin' you do this damn long enough." He snatched the folder out of her hand and flipped to the picture of his target. Weevil hadn't known the kids age. He decided to tease her instead of voicing his concerns, not sure if they were at a level that entailed open emotion.

"I used to think you were some sort of a big shot, V, but I'm not too bad at this detective thing myself."

"I'm just sayin', these injury reports are pretty serious. He's had a few broken bones from playing soccer. Which, in case you didn't know, is the new he-fell-down-the-stairs."

When Weevil didn't respond beyond an eyebrow raise, she reached across the island and grabbed his arm gently to demand attention. He looked up from his case and she continued, "Look. Just remember it's not all rich men cheating on their wives in motels. You're going to see some things you wish you could change. But the change comes later, when this kid gets a new home."

They both knew from the broken vending machine at Jumbo's Clown Wash that he was still quick to solve problems with a fight. Weevil wasn't honestly sure if he'd be able to keep himself in check, but he knew he had to try. He grimaced and nodded again, looking at the small hand resting on his arm. Her phone started to ring and she moved to answer it, leaving him disappointed. It wasn't often their partnership allowed them intimacy. Maybe things were changing, his brain whispered as he watched the tiny blonde. She checked the caller ID and motioned at him for silence.

"Hello, this is Allie Fisher with the Hearst Free Press, how may I help you?," Weevil took a mental note on the secretarial speak as she continued, "Why yes, we did call the student union desk about an hour ago. One of our reporters was interested in interviewing a certain Larry Eilcolm about his participation in your current art show, but was uncertain if he would be present for the gallery today or... oh that's super, thank you so much. I'll be sure to let her know. Thanks, you too!"

"So now you're the whole newspaper staff, huh V?"

"Just call me Arts & Leisure. I'm working on a case." She walked around and picked her bag up from the bar stool next to him, slinging it over her shoulder and looking up at him. Weevil straightened his posture a bit, not wanting to seem too fidgety with their close proximity. "It's looking like the ex-lover in the dorm room with sticky hands."

"Honestly? That sounds kinda hot. If you wanna record that for surveillance reasons..." She smacked him for that one while leading the way to the front door. Opening it, she swiveled back around to face him. He couldn't help but mentally store away the image, Veronica's eyes displayed a knowing glint and her lips curled into smile. The girl was sexy, he had stopped denying that over a year ago.

"Another thing. If you do intervene ever, keep your cover. It makes all the difference between a restraining order and a paycheck." Her tone was playfully exasperated just as her dad's had been earlier that afternoon. Weevil scowled and rolled his eyes. Did she think he had so little control that she had to hand him a backup plan? He followed her out and waved a quick goodbye as they jumped into their separate vehicles. He sunk into the drivers seat and let out a breath. He deserved every second of sleep he got this afternoon, but he knew it would take a few restless turns to forget about the boss' daughter.

* * *

R&R! Constructive criticism and beta-readers for the next chapters are always welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: These chapters will try to remain as close to the original storyline as possible. Since my focus is on Weevil, plots that were paramount to the TV show may only be visible in the sidelines here. (This chapter starts off still in 3x03 after Veronica has talked with Larry and found Logan at the Benesian.) If anything seems like it needs more explanation with the cases Veronica is facing, watching the show or rereading an episode summary might help. Expect more dialogue in the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 2

Eating leftover Chinese food and being around Weevil had been the high point of Veronica's day, which said a lot. After questioning her acrylic-coated witness and stalking her own boyfriend, Veronica had come home to mourn her sanity. She dropped her bag on the bedroom floor, crawled into bed and pouted.

The differences between her lifestyle and Logan's created more of a divide everyday. In the summer without responsibilities, they had been able to enjoy each other fully. Starting the school year had put a real dent in her image of him. College required focus and effort that Logan refused to give. She thought the two of them had grown together from everything that happened in their lives, but he was still just surfing, playing poker and avoiding reality. Maybe he would always have his feet firmly planted in the trust-fund, refusing to branching out on his own. She felt guilty just thinking it, but part of her urged that it was a possibility.

There was a rap at the door and her thoughts dissipated. Veronica looked up to see her dad silhouetting the doorway, his head cocked to the side. She smiled an invite without moving. Her father came to sit at the foot of her bed.

Veronica raised her eyebrows to show she was listening as her father began, "Eli was on stakeout tonight. A child abuse case-"

"I read the file before he picked it up." Her voice was hoarse from holding back tears earlier. Her father pretended not to notice and nodded.

"Well, he...hmm. He got some of the basics right..." Already sensing the 'but' in this story, Veronica pushed herself up, covers tumbling off of her as her dad sighed and continued, "The grandparents wanted custody, right? Eli finds out it's the boyfriend hitting the kid, not the daughter-in-law. So he-"

"He hits the boyfriend." Veronica felt the air leave her lungs. She should have expected it, but she wanted so badly for this to work. To see Weevil's life take an easier turn, to- was that a small smile?

"Well, yes. But first he took the photographs we needed through the living room window. Then, he hid the camera in the bushes. When he entered the house, he told the daughter-in-law that he heard her screaming from the driveway while on a night stroll.

"A night stroll? In a residential neighborhood miles from his apartment?"

"Not the most believable story, pretty sure the cops who arrived didn't buy it, but he kept cover."

"What about the camera?"

"Went back to get it after the cops came. So there's photographic evidence of the boyfriend hitting the child and we now have it on record that there was domestic abuse happening in the house. The clients probably missed their chance at custody of the kid." Keith took a deep breath, "But, they've already stepped in to discuss a restraining order against the boyfriend with the daughter-in-law. The grandfather even thanked us for decking the guy." Keith grinned and rubbed his daughters arm reassuringly, "This was not the smoothest operation. The results aren't what we were hired for, but he did alright. He may have some detective blood in him after all."

Veronica sighed in relief then smiled sweetly, "You know, I have heard that gang-affiliated convicts make the best private eyes."

"Is that what they say? Night, sweetie."

Keith kissed the top of his daughter's head and stroked her back lovingly before closing the door on his way out. Veronica's smile lingered as she imagined Weevil behind her desk, sorting through stakeout photographs and filing receipts. She had planned on helping him find a job before arriving at the car wash earlier that week. Veronica hadn't intended to aim high, but figured she could at least find something that looked better on a resume than Jumbo's Clown Wash. When her job search only turned up service industry jobs, she had turned to her dad. It had always been a goal of hers to change his opinion on Weevil. Having dad shoot daggers at her tattooed accomplice every time he was within ten feet had always been problematic.

_ I didn't change my spots either. _

Weevil's dejected words on their first post-jailtime encounter had her wishing she could turn him around right there. Tell him all the gushy things dad told her when she was facing problems. Be a friend for him. It was a barrier she didn't know how to cross. Their constant exchange of dirty quips blurred the line even farther. They were friends by all definitions of the word, but it had never been addressed. For all she knew, there wasn't enough to fuel them beyond favors and a sense of goodwill for each other. What they had already worked. It was a reciprocal relationship, which was more than she could say about herself and Logan right now.

And with that, her mind was right back where it had been before her father's visit.

Sighing, she scrunched back under the covers.

"Stupid Logan."

* * *

Eli sat nervously at the front desk of Mars Investigations. He had slept only a few hours. The chair squeaked as he shifted to throw a paper ball into the waste bin. He missed.

The night before hadn't gone smoothly at all. Seeing a kid the same age as his nephews getting slugged by a man who wasn't even family had hit a nerve. Eli knew beating up suspects wasn't what the sheriff ordered, but he had stuck to Veronica's advice to maintain cover at the least. She had been wise to give him a backup plan.

_Saving my ass again_, he thought. He would have charged through the front door, camera swinging around his neck with no idea how to explain himself. Instead he had created a shaky alibi for himself and called Keith with an update after retrieving the camera. After all his experience doing favors for Veronica, Eli hadn't expected the fieldwork part of this job to be difficult.

The door creaked open. Eli straightened up and looked at the door remorsefully, hoping the night hadn't gone bad enough to get him sacked. With only a week to go before his little parole therapy session, he definitely didn't have time to look for another job. He stood up as Keith walked in, looking resigned before the day even started. They made eye contact and Eli took a shallow breath to steady himself.

"Morning, sheriff."

"I told you Eli, I'm not the sheriff anymore." Keith's tone was disgruntled, but Eli detected no anger.

"Right. Sorry, boss." Keith gave him a crooked smile then paused in front of the desk, a strange look on his face. A long sigh came out of the ex-con, rolling his head to look down at the desk. After a moment Keith addressed him.

"It could have gone better. But honestly? It could have been much worse."

Eli's eyes shot back up. The sheriff was still smiling slightly as he dropped three new folders on the desk. Still trying to wrap his mind around it, the young Latino just stared at the folders on his desk.

"The first two require round the clock stakeouts, surveillance over the course of a few days. Petty things, learning routines. The last one is a favor from Veronica. She said it's worth two grand, if you still have access to your uncles tools. Feel free to finish that one today. If you're gonna be working here as a secretary, she's gonna need to show you the ropes this weekend with those filing cabinets before you really start. Favor for a favor, I suppose you're familiar with the concept."

"Yeah, I can do that. Alright. Thanks, Mr. Mars." He grabbed the folders and flipped through, barely taking anything in.

"And Eli?" He was certain the sheriff was only pausing for dramatic effect. Veronica did that all the time. "Next time, just take the pictures. And get out of there. This is meant to be a very passive job... most of the time."

The phone rang at the end of this speech and Keith darted to pick up the receiver himself, but Eli beat him to it.

His voice was gruff and intimidating when he answered, "Hello, this is Mars Investigations. How may I help you?"

Keith laughed out loud when Eli gave him a self-satisfied nod. Eli pulled the mouthpiece away from himself.

"Think I'm gettin' the hang of this, sheriff."

* * *

Feedback (including in-depth constructive criticism) is appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Fixing the car for Veronica had taken his whole afternoon that day, but being back in the garage like old times was worth it. Plus it was leverage. Weevil needed her to give him the tricks of her trade. He was floundering in the professional end of the pool. He tried to make a joke about learning just enough to put her dad at ease, but she always saw through his bullshit. They spent Friday flying around the office, shooting jokes at warp-speed while she explained the more difficult parts of the job. She gave him far too much credit when skipping over the basics, but he got it. He was street-smart and book-lazy, not dumb. It was cool if he had to fill in some blanks.

The next couple weeks Eli felt like a pro. He was trading quips with the boss during office hours and following rich white men to motels on his side of town at night. Keith was only handing out lighter cases, but Eli figured the good stuff would come around once he proved himself. And that might come sooner than the boss expected, too. Eli had noticed the more vicious quality of his own persona was disappearing. He had relied on that edge to help him lead his boys, but he didn't need it at the desk. He only really turned that part of him on for stakeouts now. Even then it was mostly just coffee and boxing matches on the radio.

Watching the clock tick on the wall, he started filing away another batch of receipts. There were footsteps outside and the door creaked open. Veronica had stopped by twice since he started to bring coffee and swipe office supplies. Weevil didn't expect her coming again this week, but he couldn't help hoping for someone to banter with to pass his last ten minutes. To avoid disappointment, he only glanced over.

"What happened to the American dream of attractive, female secretaries in horn-rimmed glasses? Pearl necklaces? Answering phones and making men in the waiting room swoon?" She collapsed backwards onto the couch for effect and he chuckled.

"They went off to college and left those jobs to the immigrants."

"Weevil, you were born in Neptune."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was this a personalized conversation? Cause I don't remember any attractive women behind this desk. Though now that I think about it, there _was_ this nosy-ass blonde who worked here..." She mocked his hand gestures and gave a fake laugh as he stood to walk around the desk. "Now I know why I always saw that LeBaron of yours in front of Camelot. Almost feels like I work there instead."

"Now that would be great; thank you for choosing The Camelot! Be sure to leave a review in the guestbook and here's your complimentary money shot."

"I'd offer to help the maids, but now that I know exactly what people are doin' in those rooms..."

"Alright, kids. Let's curb the Camelot talk until _after_ dinner." The two young adults turned as Keith emerged from his office, packed to go and shutting the door behind him.

He thrust an envelope into Eli's chest and the younger man grasped at it in confusion.

"Your cut from the last two weeks of cases. Congratulations, Eli. You are now officially a paid member of Mars Investigations. Go buy yourself a very modestly priced race car."

"Or a pony." V smiled, nudging her dad with an elbow.

Clearly an inside joke, Eli let it slide. He didn't need to know everything.

"Cool. Thanks, sheriff."

"I told you, I'm not-"

"Just give it up, sheriff." Veronica joked, starting to back away towards the door, "So! What's your poison? Chinese? Thai? Pizza?"

"Homemade?" Keith teased, trailing after her.

"Homemade, man. Now that I got my pay day, I'll be making some authentic Mexican, Leticia Navarro style." Eli was boasting for his own benefit, getting excited for a well-financed meal.

Veronica's eyes lit up and she turned to her dad, poking him in the chest, "Mexican. That is exactly what I need tonight."

Weevil smirked at the comment and gave her a nod.

"Don't worry V, I got you covered." It was out of his mouth before he realized that a dirty joke in front of his boss was a bad idea.

Veronica shot him a venomous look, but Keith's eyebrows raised innocently.

"Well, Eli. You're welcome to use our kitchen. I, for one, would appreciate the company. And the lack of shame as I order from the same restaurant for a third time this week." the sheriff smiled kindly and placed an arm humorously around Veronica's shoulders, shaking her slightly as he asked, "What do you say? Join the Mars' for dinner?"

Veronica's mouth dropped open in unison with Weevil's eyebrows skyrocketing.

This was the first time his boss was truly acknowledging that his opinion on Weevil had changed significantly. Eli's brown eyes darted between the father-daughter duo as _oh fuck_ casually flashed through his mind. He meant to say some variant of "No," but when he actually spoke, it came out with a shrug.

"I mean. I ain't got anywhere else to be."

* * *

If Eli Navarro thought eating in the Mars' apartment was going to be the weirdest part of his day, he was mistaken. Shopping for groceries with his boss and cooking over the same stove as Veronica were ten times farther off his list of "possible things that could happen in my life."

In high school, he had a thing for V that left him envisioning her at his house often. Her learning how to cook his favorite Mexican recipes was a chaster daydream, as was the idea of her gaining his boys respect with her bad ass poker face. He thought these teen romanticism's had died along with his hopes of crossing the stage at graduation, but being in her apartment had him struggling to forget those feelings again. It was strange to be in a casual setting with her. He thought he understood Veronica pretty well, but he rarely saw her softer side; the side that giggled with her dad while they diced jalapenos.

He channeled his abuelita and kept the meal simple yet flavorful. She would have laughed seeing him in the kitchen, teaching the white people how to season their meat correctly. Hell, he was laughing at himself. They sat down at the table together and Weevil felt right at home, despite V's awed expression every time she thought he wasn't looking.

The three of them had the same idea of good conversation, snapping one-liners back and forth about work and daily life while staying away from the depths of each others personal affairs. The men heckled Veronica for dating Logan and she mocked their burgeoning friendship in kind. They gave a small toast to Leticia for teaching Weevil her secrets at the end of the meal and fell silent in a momentary food-induced coma. Keith cleared his throat.

"And why don't you live with your grandma anymore, Eli? I know I'm not paying you enough for a comfortable apartment. She doesn't want the extra help with your sister's kids?"

_Mierda._

"After the whole Felix thing, she didn't want me livin' in the same house as my nephews anymore. She didn't know if anyone was comin' after me. Said my gang involvement was a bad example. I crashed with some friends that year, before the joint."

Eli's jaw clenched despite trying to seem neutral. He was met with silence.

He scolded himself. _Too deep. Lighten the mood, boy. _

"Now I live in a _real_ classy kitchenette. It's top of the bottom line."

"Wait. So that's why she wasn't at graduation with your other grandmother? How did I not know this?" Veronica asked incredulously.

"As I remember it, you were a bit preoccupied playing tennis at the country club with Duncan Kane that year. Or was it Echolls? Those rich boys all look so similar." Weevil joked bitterly.

Keith's eyes glazed over with unvoiced laughter, but his lips pulled into a disapproving grimace for his daughter's sake. For her part, Veronica swirled her glass and frowned as Weevil spoke again, "It's for the best. She came to see me when I was locked up, but I got a few old friends that might be best to keep away from the house. You know."

Keith's lips pursed in honest disapproval this time, but he nodded in understanding and began to clear the table. Veronica just stared at their guest. Eli wondered briefly if she thought he deserved everything, then pushed it aside when Keith's phone rang.

"Let me help you with that, man."

"Thanks, Eli." Keith reached for his phone, disappearing down the hallway as Eli took the gathered plates from him.

Veronica watched as her ex-classmate and sometimes-friend started placing empty dishes in the sink.

Her sink.

In her kitchen.

Looking at him now, the walls she created in high school that halted them from progressing past partners-in-crime crumbled, leaving her fully amazed at their comradery. They had never admitted their closeness and care for each other, but had instinctively known the trust was there when needed. It felt the same way she had felt when Wallace appeared outside of her door on New Years. As if she had been presented with a second chance to appreciate him in her life.

She shook her head in an effort to clear her mind and tried to express her revelation in the least dramatic way possible- with a sense of humor and a cheeky grin.

"This is weird. This is weird, right? It's not just me?"

He chuckled. Veronica continued, palming the air as if searching for a word, "It feels...Twilight Zone-y."

"Oh it's weird, alright. You and me? All we been through together? And we're sitting here, making enchiladas and sippin' Tecate with your dad?" Weevil quickly agreed, "I mean, don't get me wrong. I respect your pops, bein' my boss and all. And I like being part of your life, V. But I never saw us as the Brady Bunch in your kitchen."

He sat back down across the island from her and they stared at each other, in totally new territory, trying to assess the changing dynamics of their alliance. Veronica finally broke the moment, smiling despite her uncertainty at the situation and exhaling a small laugh.

"Wow, we _really_ need to update our pop culture references."

* * *

_12:19 pm_

"Not again."

Wallace scrambled to shove engineering books in his bag while simultaneously pulling on a shoe. He opened the door to his dorm and nearly flew into Veronica, hand still poised to knock.

"You will never guess what I did last night."

"I've stopped guessing. I'm afraid of the answers." He shut the door and launched forward, "You'll have to tell me on the way. I've got class in ten minutes."

Veronica followed two paces behind as she began her tale, "We had a guest at dinner last night. He was charming, he cooked, my dad loved him, the conversation was excellent-"

"So, not Logan?" Wallace teased.

"Weevil."

_What._ He stopped in his tracks and turned around slightly.

"What?"

"Yeah."

He tilted his head in confusion, turned, and regained his stride.

They burst outside the building doors and she continued, "He made a joke that dad purposefully misconstrued to be an invite to cook family recipes with us. His family, not ours. I don't even think we have-"

"Veronica, what part of late to class-"

"He stayed for three hours! He was... laughing with us and talking sports and mocking people that we like to mock-"

Wallace shrugged and looked both ways while crossing a bike lane, Veronica darting between bicyclists to keep up. The image of Weevil cooking merrily with Mr. Mars played alongside his memory of the same guy shouting threats in his ear. The basketball star had seen his old tormentor do plenty good and bad since then, but you never do quite forget your first time being stripped and duct-taped to a flagpole. It was water under the bridge now, especially after Wallace had chopped Weevil down from the flagpole himself less than a year ago.

"Didn't you want him to be on good terms with your dad? What did you expect?"

Veronica clicked her tongue behind him.

"I wanted my dad to like him enough to let him in the house on assignments, not invite him over for tea. He's morphed from the gang leader I ask for favors into best friend material. As my best friend, you should be worried." She shoved his backpack teasingly and slowed her pace.

Wallace chuckled and sped on, calling over his shoulder, "Aye, people change. You should invite him out with us next time. I wanna see this with my own eyes!"

"Great, maybe we can all talk basketball and drink forties!" She shouted after him, throwing her arms wide to imitate their frat-cultured classmates.

Veronica paused on the walkway and relaxed her posture. The world seemed to speed around her.

Thinking about it, she wasn't uncomfortable with Weevil becoming a bigger fixture in her life. It felt like a natural progression. Maybe that's what was worrying her. Veronica Mars didn't just let people slip into her life, they usually had to fight their way past emotional scar tissue before she begrudgingly came to love them. Even considering Mac a close friend took a year and a near-death scenario. Had that already happened with Weevil and she missed the signs? They had experienced some similar hardships in high school, but coped with them at a distance and separately. Maybe him accepting the job with her father pushed things along too quickly for her normally slow-developing friendships?

She looked up to the heavens and sighed, turning back around in the direction of the cafeteria to meet Logan for lunch.

* * *

Author's Note: Clearly by this chapter, the Weever bug bit me harder than I expected. I'll try to reel it back a little bit, but it may not be possible. I know I need to include some Logan next chapter, but I just can't seem to find the voice for him. I have a general story I want to follow, but any scene suggestions, characters you want to appear, unaddressed Weevil issues you'd like to see, or general commentary is helpful. Reviews help me determine what I'm doing right and need to continue/change.

Midterms are coming up (I'm the one writing the tests now, suck it students!) so I may be too busy to update weekly as I had intended. Hope you enjoy this one! Hopefully next up: Detective Weevil fun times~


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It didn't take long to get bored at Camelot. Sure there were other motels where Eli found the rich and cheating, but Camelot seemed to hold a special place in a majority of his targets pants. He was sick of the same parking spot, sport commentators blaring incomprehensibly through the radio, chugging coffee and energy drinks to stay awake.

To pass the time, he put his detective training into action. He had been listening to the sheriff's advice about observation and questioning, hoping they would come in handy once he was working on bigger jobs. Which seemed like it might be never, at this point. Eli slouched forward to rest on his steering wheel, opening his eyes wide and paying attention to the rest of Camelot's clientele. The ex-con didn't expect anything of interest to be happening at the motel. During his passive observation, though, little things started to stick out.

It took a week, a dozen photographs and a casually dropped question or two in the right places to understand the ins and outs he had inadvertently discovered.

Eli knocked on Keith's office door frame and the older man looked up from a large pile of paperwork.

"You got a minute?"

Keith noticed his secretary was nervous, a rather thick binder in his hands. He waved his arm invitingly and sat back.

"What can I do you for?"

"Not sure if you noticed, but I've been spendin' a lot of my time down at Camelot. Came across something interesting, I wanted to see if you knew about it."

Eli held up the binder as he spoke and Keith motioned for him to bring it over. He flipped through the pictures as Eli talked him through exactly what he was looking at.

"I saw this guy, Robert, at the front desk. Every time he's workin', customers pay over the standard amount. And people are coming in alone, too. At first I thought, maybe if a guy pays extra, some of the rooms already have women in them, you know?

"But then I see this chick, here, the brunette on the left," Eli pointed at a photo and Keith paused on the middle aged woman in a custodial uniform, "Whenever one of those big spenders comes in, she goes up to the room before he gets the key. But why would she need to do that? The room should be cleaned after the visit, not before. And I realize, she's not cleanin', she's delivering orders. Check these, look-"

Keith's face crinkled unhappily as Eli pulled the binder from his hands and opened to two pictures of the cleaning trolley.

"The garbage bag on the left gets lighter as the night goes on. She's taking stuff out, not puttin' trash in."

"That's...impressive."

Eli grinned and continued with more enthusiasm, "Yeah, so then I follow this guy I've seen there the past three days to a diner, Leo's, a couple blocks down and I mention all casual like that I haven't had a hit since chino-"

Keith raised his eyebrows in an unasked question and Eli snorted.

"Don't worry, that ain't my scene. I don't even like grass cause it makes me feel out of control. But anyway. He tells me he knows a place, you just gotta pay for a room."

"And it's the Camelot." Keith laughed under his breath, "Why am I not surprised."

Eli leaned on the back of Keith's chair with one arm and placed his other fist on his hip, exhaling deep.

"Yeah. So I'm thinkin', we let Robert know what's up and tell him we won't ask any questions. But only if he keeps an eye out for some of our rich cheaters and calls us when they're visiting. Saves me some time so that maybe I can help out on bigger cases. You looked kinda swamped lately, so I thought, you know..."

The head detective's eyes shot up, genuinely surprised.

"You did all this work just so I'd take you off Camelot duty?"

"No offense, sheriff, but if I spend another Friday night starin' at two people's shadows bone, I might start to prefer prison."

Amused, Keith couldn't help but laugh at the ex-con's dire expression. The work was great and this was all information neither him nor his daughter had ever picked up on, which was most shocking. He nodded his head appreciatively and smiled up from his seat at his recent hire.

"Well, if you're going to blackmail anyone, make it the woman. Middle-men in cases like these are more likely to comply with exchanges." Keith started, "And you've definitely proven yourself capable, Elias. So hows about you take tonight off? Tomorrow we'll go over what evaluating the bigger financial clients entails."

The young man gave an honest grin and reached out to shake Keith's hand. He walked to leave and turned back around at the door.

"Aye. No one calls me Elias, man."

Keith smirked, "And no one calls me sheriff."

* * *

Besides the occasional cough or scratch of pen, Mars Investigations had been silent all afternoon. After the morning rush of developing film and copying receipts for their files, Eli and Keith had busied themselves with preliminary readings of new files. This was the third time Keith had entrusted Eli with first-read of the money laundering and false insurance claim cases. Out of the twelve or so jobs he had been handed in the past weeks, Eli had correctly pinpointed motives and key players for five of them without assistance and lead Keith to information necessary to close the case on the rest.

He was impressed with himself, even. And the money mid-level cases brought in was much nicer, even if it was a bit measly compared to what he made chopping cars in high school. At least it was regular pay, and Keith had started him through the process of health insurance; something Eli never thought he'd get from a job.

"I asked Veronica to bring Logan over for dinner tonight." The young man turned away from the background check he had up on the computer to look at his boss through the open door to his office. Eli gave him a pitying eyebrow raise and Keith nodded in agreement, "I have to bite the bullet at some point. He's dating my daughter. Not that I like it."

Eli shook his head, "I wouldn't be too pleased feeding the kid who smashed out the headlights of my daughter's car either. Man, that Echolls kid-"

"Woah, back up there. _Logan_ smashed in the LeBaron's headlights?" Eli jumped in shock as Keith barreled towards him, placing his palms on the edge of the front office desk.

"Oh. Shit. I thought you knew that. I thought...don't you and Veronica tell each other everything or somethin'?"

_She's going to kill me_ raced through Eli's head multiple times as Keith moved to sit down in the guests chair. The boss stared at Eli, mulling something over.

"I'll make you an offer." Keith rifled through his pocket and pulled out his wallet, "It seems you know some things that I, as a parent, don't have the privilege of being told."

Keith dangled money in front of Eli as he offered, "Twenty bucks for three questions. I don't give my source if she asks and deny if she guesses."

"I don't know..." Eli glanced at the twenty, uncertain if the deal was worth the wrath of Veronica Mars. Then again, she would have done the same thing if she wanted to know something. For some reason the thought of Veronica approving her dads tactics made him more comfortable complying.

"Make it fifty and I _might_ feel less guilty about betraying my good friend Veronica's trust."

Keith smacked a wrinkled bill down on the table, moving it out of reach when Eli went to grab for it. He launched into his first question.

"What's the most dangerous thing you know Veronica's done?"

Eli took a deep breath, looking at the sheriff's serious expression. He considered the answer and begrudgingly thanked Veronica for keeping him out of the loop on so much of her life.

"Broke into the evidence room down at the station. More than once. Tampered with state's evidence against my boys, bugged a confessional in the Fitzpatrick's church. Video only. And... I may have had somethin' to do with that one, too."

"And I'm sure that's all you've been involved in, huh?" Keith's tone was sarcastic as Eli shrugged apologetically. The sheriff waited a moment to ask his next question, clearly unsure about if he wanted to hear the answer or not.

"Has Logan ever done anything to hurt Veronica?"

"We don't talk about who we're datin' or any of that." Eli grunted. It had always been a sore spot for him that Veronica didn't come to him for comfort in her personal life. He knew he reciprocated the distance, but wished it was different for the two of them. He realized Keith probably read the reasoning behind his expression correctly and tried to cover up by saying more on the subject.

"But I don't think it's like that. Lilly used to talk about it, before. He was emotionally abusive with her. She thought his home life fucked him up. With Veronica though? I don't know, man. I know he used to let air out of her tires junior year. I punched him for that, once. He, uh, he helped spread rumors. Nothin' good for awhile there." Eli paused, trying to reel his anger at Echoll's treatment of women back in, "I don't like the guy. I don't trust him. Never did."

"What kind of rumors?"

Eli hesitated again. He had hoped Keith wouldn't ask a follow up question.

"I don't want to tell you that."

"Part of the deal, Eli. What kind of rumors?"

He broke eye contact with Keith and tried to focus on anything else.

"That... oh, man. That she got around. And she hit on guys at parties right in front of their girlfriends." Eli followed a scratch in the wooden floor with his eyes, "That she drank a lot. Did drugs to stay thin."

"And was any of that backed up with evidence?"

"No, of course not." His defense was so rushed he didn't even realize he was answering a fourth question. After first interacting with Veronica, he knew immediately none of the rumors about her could be true. His boys knew too. He'd seen Hector and a few of the others threatening kids for talking shit about V's private life. It was one of the times he was most proud of his gang.

"Veronica's not anything like the girl they said she was. She was just an easy target, after Lilly died. Even for people who used to be her friend."

Keith nodded and took his hand off the fifty dollar bill he had placed on the table. Eli could see him fighting to suppress rage.

"Well. That was... informative." Keith let out a deep breath and stood up to head for his own chair, "Let's do this again sometime."

"No thanks, sheriff. I think I'll quit while I'm ahead."

The door to the private office closed and Eli looked at the fifty dollar bill. Foolishly, he hadn't expected difficult questions. For a moment, he even felt guilty for potentially putting V in a terrible situation with her dad tonight. As much as he hated Echolls, the care he felt for Veronica was overpowering.

He didn't want to hurt her, even if it meant seeing Logan suffer. Perhaps telling her father about Echolls behavior was a good thing, though. If anyone could help Veronica see the dysfunction in her choice of boyfriend it was Mr. Mars. And if Veronica was single...

Her father was unwilling to accept a millionaire 09er, what would he say if he knew a retired gang leader and ex-con wanted to date his daughter? He laughed out loud at the absurdity of it and scolded himself.

"Yeah, like you got a shot, cholo."

Sliding the money into his wallet, Weevil couldn't help grinning manically.

That dinner was going to be a new level of bad.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm going somewhere with this, I swear. Please review! Or shoot a PM, even. Anything you've wanted to know about Weevil or any interactions you've wanted to see that weren't on the show. I have room to adapt.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Veronica shot a glare in the balding man's direction, chewing her dinner cautiously. Keith Mars, over-protective father and interrogation extraordinaire had been throwing softballs. So far, he had let Logan breeze through the night. Asking simple, friendly questions until her boyfriend's guard was down. If Veronica knew her father as well as she thought, that meant it was game time. She put down her fork and switched to water, getting ready to intervene when necessary.

"You know," Keith started calmly, "it's really great to see Veronica with someone she can trust. Just. Really, really great."

Her eyes narrowed into slits and she prepared herself for the first blow. The corners of Logan's mouth raised slightly in thanks, glancing at Veronica hopefully.

"Especially after all you two have been through. Boy, that's how you learn who's right for you and who isn't. It's all about who's on your side when things take a turn for the worst. When everything with your family happened? And Veronica was there for you, no questions asked. Such a good friend." The good-cop smile saved for criminals erupted across his face. Veronica gulped down her water, but was too late to interrupt.

"Just as I'm sure you were there for her, after I was fired from my job as sheriff. Things got bad at school for her, you know." He paused, his face crunched in malice, and watched the realization hit Logan.

Keith's voice grew louder over each of Veronica's attempts to cut in, "She had a really tough year-"

Veronica laughed nervously, "Okay, dad-"

"Coming home crying because of what the kids were saying, calling her trash-"

"Reel it back-"

"Needing me to teach her how to pump a tire because, somehow, they kept deflating in the school parking lot-"

Veronica could see the panic on Logan's face as he regained his voice, "Mr. Mars, I'm n-"

"And like that wasn't enough, having her headlights smashed in. Now what terrible person would do that to a girl obviously having a rough time of it?"

Logan stood up, heartbroken, taking a shaky breath. Veronica could see the apology on his lips, the pleading in his eyes and she wanted nothing more than to give him the approval he never seemed to find.

"I bet you were a _real_ friend to Veronica then, when her life was so very difficult. I'm sure, in those times where character was most important, you showed your true colors."

"Well," The young man's voice cracked, true regret etched in every bit of his posture, "if popular opinion means anything, it seems my true color is a very, very deep shade of black. I should go."

"Yes, maybe you should." Keith's tone was demanding as Veronica shot him a horrified look, her rose-colored glasses for him shattering across the dinner table.

"I can't believe you!" She shouted, moving towards the door to follow an already departed Logan. Only the volume of Keith's voice as he began to lecture stopped her cold in shock.

"No, Veronica! I can't believe you! After all you've seen on the job? You should know the warning signs! Logan Echolls has given you plenty of those-"

"You don't even know him! He's not that person anymore-"

"Do you even hear yourself? That's what they all say, every time, and then it happens again-"

"Oh my god," The angry tears welling in her eyes started to trickle down, her face red from upset, "He would _never_ hurt me! You don't have the full story-"

"And do I really need it? He's already hurting you! He hit your car repeatedly with a _crowbar_, Veronica! He purposefully tried to make your life hell after you had already lost Lilly-"

"He lost Lilly too, Dad!"

"And I'm not sure if you recall this, but he succeeded! I damn well remember what it was like, having my daughter come home crying everyday because her friends had abandoned her in her time of need. Now I find out it's _your_ _boyfriend_ who was leading the cavalry against you? And you want my _blessing_?"

Grabbing her coat off the living room sofa, Veronica choked back a sob and made her way to the door as Keith's saddened, booming voice echoed through the open halls of their complex, "You won't get it. Not from me, Veronica."

* * *

She caught up with Logan in the parking lot; he was pacing in front of his car. Hearing her approach, he lifted his head and they made eye contact, both devastated.

"I don't know what else I can do." His Adam's apple bobbed as he repressed his own tears,"Your dad _hates_ me, Veronica."

"He doesn't get you yet, Logan. Not like I do." Gently, she tried to calm him down and help him understand that her dads outburst wouldn't affect their relationship, "You've been through so much and changed so drastically. You're not that guy anymore."

"Why would he bring that stuff up? After all this time."

"I have an idea." She muttered, "Dad wasn't acting strange until after work. I bet Weevil had something to do with this."

"Weevil?" Logan looked at her in distrust and confusion, "What does Weevil have to do with this?"

"He needed a job to stay out of jail, so my dad hired him as a favor to me." Veronica realized she hadn't mentioned it before and hoped Logan wouldn't scold her for keeping secrets again. Her nerves were for naught though as Logan just smiled disbelievingly.

"Well that's just great." He gazed over her shoulder, back at the apartment. Veronica saw that he had more to say and waited patiently until he was able to speak again.

"Am I...I mean. You forgave me, right? For everything?" There was torment in his words and he proceeded, "I was so terrible to you. I've apologized a thousand times, but I feel like it keeps coming back and ruining us every time we're finally working together. I don't care what the rest of them think so much, besides your dad. But you...have you forgiven me?"

_Veronica saw her old group standing by Duncan's locker, watching her pass. She heard Logan say _slut_, unashamed if she heard or not._

_"Want a drink, Ronnie? It might make you feel closer to your mother..."_

_"Don't be rude, Dick, didn't your nanny teach you manners?" The blond surfer shoved past her into their 2nd period algebra class and Logan stood behind him, holding open the door for her, "You always let the trailer trash go first."_

_"Another flat, what a shame. You should really check into that, if you can afford it."_

"Of course." Veronica's eyes shifted as she replaced their high school masochism with recent memories of I love you's and steamy nights in his hotel room. "Of course I forgive you."

He studied her face, then turned towards his car.

"Right. I should really go, before your dad comes out. Veronica?" He buried his hands in his pockets and his eyes opened wistfully, "I do love you. So much. And...I would never hurt you. Honest."

"I know that." She breathed.

He hopped into his car, dejected, and Veronica waited until his car was out of sight. The light of her apartment glimmered and instead of returning, she grabbed the car keys out of her pocket. Veronica had someplace of her own to be.

* * *

Sipping beer on the couch, TV droning, Eli watched his phone vibrate on the coffee table. He considered just letting it ring until she stopped calling, but after the fourth voice mail his irritation got the best of him. Finishing his drink quickly, he answered, expecting a rant on the other end. What actually greeted him was much more chilling.

"Open. Your. Door."

_Shit._

If she knew enough to be at his door and was pissed enough to call five times without busting it down, then Eli assumed denial was out of the question. Slipping into the best deadpan expression he could muster given his fright level, he clicked the lock and stared into what seemed like the eyes of Ares himself. Veronica roughly forced the criminal out of her way, only turning to face him when she was in the dead center of his living area.

"My dad invited Logan over for dinner tonight." Her tone indicated that she knew she was only reviewing for him and he furrowed his brow in distress.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I thought he knew about the car thing."

"Well, he didn't. Now I understand how that would come up in conversation, you were there for that, after all," she took a menacing step in his direction and he eyed her warily, "but how is it that all those high school rumors resurfaced in the same day? Hmm? Lucy," she sang, somehow still sending jolts of fear up his spine, "You got some s'plainin' to do."

"Hell, V." Weevil decided to skip the part where he received cash for his answers, "Your dad asked if I thought the guy could ever hurt you. I didn't say yes, but you know. I don't exactly have love for the guy. And I don't exactly trust him with you, either. Not after Lilly. But this ain't my place-"

"What _about_ Lilly?" Veronica snapped in exasperation.

"What?" Weevil's speech slipped farther into slang territory as he grew more annoyed, "Whatchu you mean, 'what about Lilly'? 'Cause I don't know what they teach you up in the hills, but some of us boys from the other side of the track know scarin' and threatenin' your woman ain't the way to handle an argument."

For a moment Eli thought she was hyperventilating. It occurred to him, finally, that maybe Lilly really hadn't ever talked about this with her rich best friends. Veronica spread her arms then dropped them back at her sides in an _I give up_ gesture.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? That Logan is some...abuser and I just never noticed it. I've been his friend since junior high and never, not once-"

"Really?" Weevil's question came out sounding more like a statement than he intended. His head shook in disbelief. This girl he had idolized for so long was blinded. There were less than a handful of times he could remember pitying Veronica, and this was one of them.

"Let's go through it. You and me. Has he ever humiliated you in public to put you in place? Like say, throughout our _entire_ sophomore year of high school? Hmm? Has he ever punched a wall, or broken something because of somethin' you did? Like, say, headlights?"

A vision of her living room lamp shattering flickered across her memory. She shook her head angrily and Eli saw a rebuttal already rolling through her mind. He talked louder to redirect her attention.

"How about, has he ever threatened to _jump off a bridge_ because you broke up with him. I know that one happened. It's typical manipulation, Veronica! You pretend she's the only one who can stop you from hurting yourself so that she's compelled to stay. Did you ask him why? Did he blame you? At all?"

The answers were yes, he could see her cracking, but she wasn't there yet. Her eyes were watering and guilt began to bubble inside of him, but he pushed it down. He thought of Tod Thomas' mom hopelessly crying as he hid his camera in the bushes and entered her house. His own step-dad, so nice in the beginning, before his sister stopped smiling like she used to. He would have done anything as a kid to have someone tell his mom there was time to leave.

"He would restrain Lilly from going out. Take her car keys, yell at her, accuse her of shit she wasn't doin'. He thought all her friends were hittin' on her all the time. I'm surprised he still lets Wallace around you, V. She couldn't do anything with him! It wasn't until after how he started actin' that she started cheating, tryin' t'get out. Why d'you think I know so much? Who do you think she came to when things got ugly? Why do you think I never gave up on her?"

Rhetorical questions tumbled from him in anger and he stopped, watching as Veronica avoided eye contact with him, shaking her head, clinging to the last shreds of denial possible. Eli tensed his muscles to keep from reaching out to her. As much as he wanted to hold her, she needed space. This was only the first wake up call. She wouldn't leave Echolls with one warning, they never did.

"You're not a particularly stand-up citizen yourself." She shot feebly, recognizing she was outgunned.

Eli's record made him sound like a monster and he briefly wondered if anyone thought he was capable of treating women in such a way. His voice softened down to a whisper, his eyes at the ground.

"It ain't about me today. Look, I'm sorry I talked to the sheriff about your boy. I didn't tell him anything that wasn't true. I didn't tell him what Lilly told me. And Echolls might not be bad now, V, maybe he never will be. Maybe he just needs help, like therapy or somethin'. But the things Lilly said..." he swallowed hard, not sure if it was rage or anguish he was stifling, "Just. Be careful, V. It's hard to know somebody."

"Yeah, well, thanks, Weevil." She had caught her breath and glared at him, sarcasm boiling in her voice. She moved towards the door, still upset but much less infuriated than when she had entered. Mournfully, he refused to turn around and heard rather than saw her open the door and pause.

"She didn't tell me a lot of things, huh?"

"I guess not."

There was a soft click and the scratch of shoes on his welcome mat. The TV drawled on, distracting him, and he made his way back to the refrigerator. This night was going to need another beer.

* * *

Author's note: It's okay to hate me, all three of you LoVe fans who made it this far! As I mentioned earlier, Logan's voice totally escapes me. Apologies for all the misery, but it wouldn't be Veronica Mars if life wasn't hauntingly miserable at times. I know this was a bit dark, but I don't know if it's well written. Feel free to correct anything that sounded strange in your review or send a PM with tips, requests for scenarios, ect. Thanks for the support! Mid-terms are this week so I may not update for awhile again. :)


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